Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Romans 8:1-2There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (ESV)

Condemnation is an interesting word. A study of this word reveals that it’s much stronger than it appears.

The “con” part of condemnation is similar to the Spanish word meaning “with.” If you were to order Chili con Carne, you would receive chili with meat. Condemnation literally means “with damnation.” If you ordered your chili that way, it would be some pretty hot chili.

Paul tells us here that for those of us who belong to Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. That’s good news. Condemnation means that someone has pronounced final judgment saying that we will never change and are condemned to staying just the way we are which leads to sin and death.As believers, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. God is working in us and heightens our sensitivity to what He wants for our lives. While God convicts, He doesn’t condemn believers.

What parts of your life are you afraid can never be changed? How have you gone about making changes? Some things in one form or another may dog you every day, but you don’t have to give in. You are not condemned to this. Embrace Christ’s freedom today.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Romans 12:1-2So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

Most versions that we read use words like “living sacrifices.” These concepts are easily disconnected from the course of our everyday life. I like how Eugene Peterson explains this familiar passage in The Message.

God isn’t looking for some sort of added on spiritual component to our lives. He wants us to fully surrender all that we have and all that we are. In God’s view, brushing our teeth is just as spiritual as raising our voices in worship. We are spiritual beings. Everything we do is spiritual.

We are whole beings. God wants us to worship Him with our whole selves.

As you go about your day today, what things would you be tempted to think are completely “unspiritual”? I would encourage you to stop during the course of your day and remember that God is with you. What you do is important to him.

Monday, September 28, 2009

James 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (ESV)

People have tried to convince me that if they believe something strongly enough it becomes faith. That’s simply not true. I could believe that my black car is really orange, but that doesn’t make it orange. I could strongly believe that God will give me everything that I want, but God knows better than that. He knows that what pleases me might get in the way of what pleases Him. Why would He set me up for failure?

Faith is not strong belief. Faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). The faith that God gives leads to action. Faith is not a noun. It’s a verb in the original language of the Bible.

When God gave us faith to be saved, things dramatically changed in our lives. We left behind some of our worldly ways and thinking. We’re not 100 percent there, but it’s a process, right?

I know people with tremendous Christian doctrinal statements. The biblical basis of their beliefs is impeccable. Some of these people are really mean. Most of them are very frustrated. Why? Because what we truly believe is what we actually do. If the fire alarm sounds and we don’t believe there is a fire, we don’t run out of the building.

How does your life show what you believe? What “doctrinal statement” would others write for you based on how you live?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (NIV)

I grew up with the impression that after God saved me, it was pretty much up to me to behave. I picked up a great deal of “fear and trembling” from the church I was raised in. That may or may not have been their intent, but it certainly stuck. I have found that if it’s all up to me, well, that’s just too much pressure. I’m not that good.

This passage gives me hope. God works in us to work out our salvation. No where does this verse imply that we work for our salvation or that we work to keep our salvation. God is at work in us. Those impossible tasks like “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19) become something that God does in us. All we need to do is let God do His work. Maybe that means pausing long enough to ask God what to say or what to do rather than just reacting. It takes supernatural power to live a godly life.

What does God need to work out in your life today? What issue keeps coming up in your relationships at work, at home and in other parts of your life? Ask God for His power to help. He will.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Proverbs 20:5 “The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (NIV)

Deep waters seem mysterious and certainly difficult to reach. Maybe you’ve watched a television program where scientists explore the deep in a submarine and discover strange, new creatures. It’s not a place that many people go.

This proverb says that “the purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters.” At times those deep waters are mysterious. You and I both do things at times that we really don’t understand why we did what we did. If that’s happened to you, it simply means that you’re normal. If it keeps happening to you, it might mean that you lack some self-awareness. The good news is that you and I can become more self-aware.

“A man of understanding draws [the purposes] out.” This phrase can go either of two directions. One way to look at this is if I am the man of understanding, then by reflection, prayer, meditation, God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit, I can discover what is going on deep in my heart. This means that the noise must be turned off, so the process can occur. This may be as simple as praying and asking God to reveal these things.

The other way to see this verse is that the “man of understanding” is someone else. Perhaps this is an older, wiser person who can help us understand what’s going on. This could be a counselor or pastor. Sometimes it’s easier for someone else to see what is going on than it is for us to see things for ourselves. When we look at ourselves, sometimes it’s too personal, so we miss it. The insight of another can be a great help in discovering the purposes of our hearts.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Psalm 147:10-11“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (NIV)

What impresses people doesn’t impress God. The psalmist wasn’t thinking of high performance vehicles, when he wrote about horse power, but that certainly applies to our culture today. Even human accomplishments fall short of what pleases God. Muscle cars and Olympians aren’t the epitome. There is nothing wrong with either as long as things are kept in perspective.

God delights in those who respect Him. We show God respect by trusting Him with who we are, what we have, and what we will ever be. He doesn’t delight in machines or even people built for speed. God delights in hearts that are fully surrendered to Him.

Our strength is an asset only when it is surrendered to His strength. We can’t compete with God and win. He has the advantage. But, as we ask God to take all that we have and all that we are and use it for His purposes, He delights in us.

God isn’t asking us to hope in nothing. He delights in those “who put their hope in his unfailing love.” It might be hard to imagine “unfailing love,” but that is what God offers us.

What are you putting your hope in today? In another person? In yourself? In something you own?

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (NIV)

Notice the blessing that John gives to Gaius in this personal letter. In exchange for his generosity, John blesses Gaius with the prayer that “you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you.” But, John makes one qualification here: “even as your soul is getting along well.”

All of us would enjoy being blessed with good health and good favor. But, notice the tie in: how is your soul doing? So, how is your soul today? Is your soul at peace? Is your soul troubled?

John mentions the path that gives his friend, Gaius, peace. All is well with his soul because of his “faithfulness to the truth.” What is the truth? Well, maybe a better question is “Who is the truth?” Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6, NIV). Faithfulness to the Truth, Jesus, brings about blessings in our life.

How might we be unfaithful to the Truth? Unfaithfulness is putting something else in Jesus’ place. Unfaithfulness could be believing the news commentators more than we believe Jesus. Unfaithfulness could be taking the words of the naysayers, the gossips, and the negative rather than embracing the Truth of our Savior.Don’t get me wrong here. If we spend all of our time praying and never exercise, we’ll probably end up being overweight, which could lead to poor health. But, personally, if I am trusting in Jesus, I don’t make as many trips to the fridge for comfort.

What is troubling your soul today? How can the Truth make a difference today? Ask Him.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Matthew 11:28-30"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)

Most of us haven’t seen a yoke of oxen. I have seen a yoke of water buffalo plowing a field in China, but never oxen. For a beast of burden, a yoke doesn’t appear to be easy or light. But, this is what Jesus promises us.

A good yoke is made in such a way that the surface is smooth so the animal won’t suffer from the apparatus. The animal is still working a long, hard day. But, even a hard day goes better when the yoke isn’t gouging into your neck and the weight isn’t sapping your strength. Relatively speaking, there is comfort and ease amid the labor.

What is Jesus getting at? His words imply that every person is toiling away with a yoke around their neck. Most people are completely exhausted. But, Jesus has a way of going about things where the work can be accomplished, yet we aren’t abused or injured at the close of the day. In fact, Jesus promises “rest for [our] souls.”

What is weighing down your soul today? Right now, take a moment and give your burden to Jesus. Ask to receive his knowledge and his rest.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Luke 2:52“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (NIV) Over the next few weeks, we are going to focus on the four key areas that were the most important in Jesus’ development: our relationship with God, our relationship with other people, our physical health, and our capacity for gaining wisdom. Now these weren’t just four random categories that Luke records about Jesus’ maturity. In the Old Testament, we read that “the young Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man” (1 Samuel 2:26). The balance between our body, soul and spirit is significant.

Our physical health impacts our emotional health. As I am writing these words, I am experiencing the fatigue of having lost sleep because of an emergency trip to the veterinarian last night with our cat. Then, I lost more sleep, because I had to pick up the cat early this morning from the “ER” vet and deliver him to the regular vet. With the help of sugar and caffeine, which are incidentally poor substitutes for sleep, I am making it through the day. But, I’m not feeling great physically or emotionally. So, I’m not evaluating my job performance or anyone else’s today. I’m doing my best to avoid taking on the cares of the world today. Tomorrow will be better, because my body will be better rested.

This is why our spiritual growth has to be multidimensional. If we’re tired, we need to go to bed earlier. If we’re struggling in a relationship, we need to get some help in finding favor with that person. If we’ve faced the same circumstances again and again, we need to reflect, consult with others, and become wiser. And, yes, God is always there for us.

As we begin this new study, what is your greatest area of need? Physical health? Growing close to God? Relationships with others? Gaining wisdom? Ask God, right now, to help you see clearly what you should focus on in the next six weeks.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

I've had a great response to the daily devotionals that I wrote this summer for our "A Life Worth Watching" series on the book of Philippians. When people read every day for 12 weeks, now that's saying something. So, today I'm launching the Galatians419 blog to give daily encouragement to believers in their walk. My hope and prayer is that you will have a little inspiration every day as Christ is formed in you.